title: Suggested guidelines for including or excluding categories in the DSM-IV.
abstract: A set of guidelines is proposed for the possible inclusion or exclusion of diagnostic categories in the DSM-IV. For possible inclusion, a new category should meet all of the following five guidelines: adequate literature, specified diagnostic criteria, acceptable interclinician reliability, evidence that the criteria forms a syndrome, and differentiation from other categories. For possible exclusion, a category should possess an inadequate literature, extremely low coverage, or evidence of diagnostic bias. None of the exclusionary guidelines would be invoked if the category refers to a demonstrable disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610-0256.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Blashfield
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sprock
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Fuller
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011643:Publishing; D013577:Syndrome